Minneapolis Connects October Newsletter

City of Minneapolis sent this bulletin at 10/05/2017 04:18 PM CDT

October, 2017

The City of Minneapolis seeks applicants for boards and commissions

A
number of board and commission positions are open for City Council and Mayoral appointments this fall. Board and commission members in the City of Minneapolis
provide valuable insights, help shape key policy decisions and provide
community-based input into administration of services. The City is seeking applicants
with a diversity
of backgrounds and experiences to strengthen the work of the City. Translation
services are available upon request to ensure all residents have the ability to
participate.

Applications will be reviewed beginning October 20, unless otherwise marked. The
positions are open until filled. There are 119 open positions on 17 City boards
and commissions.

Visit the City’s website for a list of appointment opportunities,
position descriptions and the applications.

Boards, commissions and advisory committees

The City of Minneapolis has more than 50
volunteer-based boards, commissions and advisory committees that advise the
City on issues and help with policy development and administration of services.
Boards and commissions fall into a handful
of categories: appeal boards, development boards, general advisory boards, and
special service districts, which are defined areas within the city where
special services are rendered.

Appointments to board and commissions
are made twice a year — in the spring and fall.

This streamlined appointment process
makes it easier for people to learn about volunteer opportunities, ensures a
more open and understandable process for residents and staff, and increases the
diversity of the applicant pool.

City launches #WeAreMpls campaign

The City of
Minneapolis has launched a new public awareness campaign called #WeAreMpls
elevating unique voices in the city reflective of Minneapolis’ rich diversity. To celebrate the launch, two events were held in September during "Welcoming Week" at Powderhorn Park and the Brian Coyle Center.

The City’s
#WeAreMpls campaign features compelling stories and photos of newcomers and
longtime Minneapolis residents by Stephanie Glaros, a local photographer behind
the popular blog “Humans of Minneapolis.” The photos and stories can be found
at www.minneapolismn.gov/WeAreMpls.

Through the
personal lens of members of our community, the campaign lifts up individual
stories of identity, reflecting Minneapolis’ diversity of experiences. The
campaign reaffirms the City of Minneapolis’ commitment to be a welcoming place
for all people, regardless of ethnicity, race, national origin, gender
identity, religion or birthplace.

If you live
in Minneapolis and are interested in being featured in this campaign, share
your photo and story on social media with the hashtag #WeAreMpls.

The City
recently joined Welcoming America’s network of Welcoming Cities and Counties, recognizing its commitment to inclusiveness
toward immigrants and all its residents. Nearly 100 local governments across
the country belong to the network launched by Decatur, Georgia-based Welcoming
America, a nonprofit founded in 2009. In 2016, there were nearly 400 events in
150 communities for Welcoming Week.

Join the City of Minneapolis and American Indian Community in celebrating Indigenous Peoples Day Friday October 6 through Monday, October 9.

The City recognizes the second Monday in October
as Indigenous Peoples Day, marking and celebrating the significance of the
American Indian and Indigenous community in Minneapolis, as well as the city’s
history of American Indian activism. Along with the federal government, for
many years Minneapolis recognized the day as Columbus Day.

For information on events beginning Friday, Oct. 6th please
visit the Indigenous
Cities website. A full schedule for Monday’s events can also be found here.

City Council passes resolution supporting DACA

The City
Council approved a resolution reaffirming the City’s support for the Deferred Action for
Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

The Trump
administration recently called for the end of the DACA program and gave
Congress six months to pass legislation to determine the fate of roughly
800,000 people with DACA status. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security
established DACA under the Obama administration in 2012, which allows
undocumented youths who came to the country as children to apply for temporary
permission to stay in the U.S.

The City of
Minneapolis was the first in the country to declare support for DACA in 2012.
The resolution notes that Minnesota is home to 6,300 people with DACA status,
often referred to as Dreamers. It also cited a study by the University of
Minnesota’s Humphrey School of Affairs estimating that Minnesota’s DACA
participants pay nearly $7 million annually in taxes. The program has enabled
more than 70 percent of participants to find a new job.

“The City of
Minneapolis is strongly committed to continuing the work of enacting policies
and programs to welcome members of all communities, including creating a legal
defense fund to support immigrants and refugees in our city,” the resolution
notes.

Meet Anthony Taylor - NCR's new African American Community Specialist

Anthony has a Bachelor’s degree from the University of
Northern Iowa in Criminology and comes to the NCR department after working in
education. Anthony’s work focused around racial equity as
well as providing authentic family engagement opportunities to underrepresented
communities in Minneapolis.

Anthony can be reached at 612-673-5475 or anthony.taylor@minneapolismn.gov

Neighborhoods 2020 Update

Neighborhoods 2020 continues to move ahead with the help of the Neighborhood and Community Engagement Commission (NCEC). The draft summary of findings were released on September 5, 2017. A summary page of how the data was gathered and evaluated can be found on the NCR web site.

This October, NCR will be holding two luncheon conversations in City Hall with select City leaders and staff. After these conversations are complete, an on-line survey for select City staff who work with neighborhood organizations will be circulated. Invitations to these meetings will be sent out shortly to participants.

The Neighborhoods 2020 project has a goal of preparing policy recommendations to be submitted to the City Council no later than the end of first quarter 2018.

The next meeting of the NCEC Neighborhoods 2020 Committee will be Monday October 16th at 6pm on the first floor of Crown Roller Mill.

NCR staff travels to Norway, exchanges ideas on how to support Somali immigrants.

In August, NCR East African Community Specialist Abdirashid
Ahmed traveled to Norway to meet government and Somali community leaders. The trip
was paid for by the U.S. Embassy in Norway and focused on exchanging insights into the
ways the City of Minneapolis and the Norwegian governments have been able to
support the success of the large Somali populations within their communities. Ahmed
went on a similar trip in 2016, when Swedish officials invited the City to
share its best practices around community engagement in order to learn how it
positively engages immigrants in their new country.

To date, City staff have traveled to Norway, Sweden, Italy,
Kenya, England and Washington D.C. to share information and best practices. The
work of the City of Minneapolis and NCR is recognized both nationally and internationally
as a model for successfully integrating and welcoming immigrants and refugees
into the community.

Sheridan Community Garden brings together neighborhood organization, mosque and brewery

Neighborhood
organizations are often encouraged to partner with area businesses,
non-profits, and faith-based organizations.The unique partnership behind the Sheridan Community Garden in Northeast
Minneapolis, however, deserves special mention.

Dangerous Man Brewing
Company’s volunteers serve as stewards for the garden. Much of the food raised
is donated to The Sheridan Story, a local nonprofit working to fight childhood
hunger. The Sheridan Neighborhood Organization (SNO) provides NRP funding for
garden supplies and coordination.The
garden is located at and hosted by the Islamic Community Center of Minnesota.

Dangerous
Man states, “A brewery and a mosque is not the easiest relationship… However,
we believe that to truly be part of our
greater community we need to have those hard relationships. We encourage you to
work on the hard relationships within your community because that is what is
truly going to make your community a community”.

Former SNO president Joy
Smallfield notes, “Thank you Dangerous Man! This is beautiful!”

Get ready for the Nov. 7 election, Minneapolis will use ranked-choice voting

The City of
Minneapolis is gearing up for the Nov. 7 municipal election, which will be the
city’s third election to use ranked-choice voting. Sample ballots are now
available, and voters can go to the elections webpages to see
how their ballots will look in November.

There are
three ways voters can cast their ballots: by mail, in person at the Early Vote
Center and in person at their polling place on Election Day. As we get closer
to the election, the City is working to remind folks how to use ranked-choice
voting, and to make sure people know how to register to vote, how to find their
polling place, and to answer any other questions about voting.

Sample ballots available now

You can see
exactly what the ballot in your precinct will look like. Just go to vote.minneapolismn.gov/voters/ballot and a link there will take you to a
Minnesota Secretary of State webpage where you can get your sample ballot. It’s
a great way to make sure you’re prepared for the voting booth, and you can
bring it with you to the polls as a reference.

In the
mayor’s race, 16 candidates will appear on the ballot. All City Council offices
will also be on the ballot. Each ballot across the city will also feature
two other citywide contests: one for two at-large seats on the Board of
Estimate and Taxation, and one for three at-large seats on the Park and
Recreation Board. Every voter will also have a chance to select a
representative for one of the six Park and Recreation Board districts.

Early voting is underway – Request a ballot now

Early voting
has now begun, and any voter who wants to cast an early ballot can do so. This
can be done in person at the Early Vote Center, 217 S. Third St., at the corner
of Third Ave. S. and Third St. S., one block from City Hall. Standard voting
hours will be 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday, with extended hours including
weekends in the final days before Election Day.

To vote
early by mail, voters may request an absentee ballot. Ballots are then mailed
out, and they include everything a voter needs to send back a completed ballot.
Visit vote.minneapolismn.gov/voters/absentee for absentee ballot applications in
multiple languages that can be printed out and mailed, faxed or emailed in to
request a ballot. Also online is a link to the Secretary of State’s absentee
ballot lookup tool to follow the status of an absentee ballot that has been
submitted. You can also watch this video on voting by mail for more information.

Oct. 17 is the deadline to pre-register to vote

Registering
to vote is fast and easy. If you’ve never voted before and need to register,
now is the perfect time. If it’s been more than four years since you last
voted, or you’ve moved or changed your name since you last registered, you’ll
also need to re-register.

Oct. 17 is
the deadline for pre-registering in 2017. Voter registrations can be submitted
anytime and can help ensure a smooth Election Day experience for voters – with
less time spent waiting in lines and no need to bring documents with you on
Election Day.

In addition
to submitting voter registration applications by mail or in person to elections
offices, voters have the option to register or update their registrations
online. To pre-register, start the process at vote.minneapolismn.gov/voters/register.

This election uses ranked-choice voting

Minneapolis
voters will use ranked-choice voting this fall to elect a mayor and members of
the City Council, Board of Estimate and Taxation, and Park and Recreation
Board. Ranked-choice voting is a way of voting that eliminates the need for
separate primary elections. Voters rank up to three candidates for each office.
The ballot has three columns, and choices are made from left to right in those
columns. Ranked-choice voting is used only for municipal elections in
Minneapolis.

The City has
an elections-focused website: vote.minneapolismn.gov. This website is a central place to go for
accurate, timely information about this year’s election and ranked-choice
voting. The fresh, intuitive design is focused on the user, with content on the
site arranged according to specific audiences including voters, candidates,
volunteers and students.

Public Works trainee program increases diversity, serves as new hiring pipeline

The Public Works Service Worker 1 Trainee Program is helping
the department change the face of its workforce to better reflect the community
it serves. Public Works is hiring for service worker 1 positions and for
service worker 1 trainee positions. See the required qualifications and
experience here.

New trainee program begins
soon

Public Works is accepting applications throughout October
for the next trainee program. The program offers adults a chance at on-the-job
training to meet the qualifications for the Public Works service worker 1
position. Trainees perform manual labor to support construction and maintenance
work while also learning the fundamentals of the construction industry and how to
drive and operate Public Works equipment. Through the course of the program,
they earn their Class B commercial driver’s licenses.

Spread the word

Please help spread the word about these opportunities with
folks in your network. Share this flyer, and
encourage prospective applicants to attend one of several information sessions
in October.

Meet a Neighborhood and Community Engagement Commissioner - Peter Eichten

District 7 Representative

Term: 1st

Neighborhood: Midtown Phillips

How long have you been active in your community and what
made you get involved in community work?

My wife, Jane, and I live in the
Mid-town Phillips neighborhood. We
purchased a duplex in Mid-town in 2002 to help provide some affordable housing
to a low-income family. We live in one
of the units and rent out the other.
When we moved in we could watch drug deals and prostitution deals out of
our window. We wanted to help make the
neighborhood a better place than what we were witnessing, so we became involved
in our block club and with the Midtown Neighborhood Association.

What do you like most about your neighborhood or community?

We love the diversity of
Mid-town. We love the commitment our
neighbors have to help making our neighborhood safe and an enjoyable place to
live; however, fulfilling that goal that has been a challenge at times over the
past 15 years. We love our neighbors.

Are there other boards and committees you are or have been
on?

I served on the Weed & Seed
Steering Committee from 2003 – 2009. I
served on the Phillips Community Energy Co-op Board from about 2005 –
2010. I am presently the president of
the Mid-town Phillips Neighborhood Association. I am presently the chair of the Racial Justice
Task Force at Plymouth Congregational Church in Minneapolis.

Do you have any tips for residents interested in running
for neighborhood boards and/or City boards and commissions?

Get involved! Participate in the events and activities in
your neighborhood – speak to neighborhood board members, let your voice be
heard.

Anything else you’d like to share about yourself?

I have degrees in
History, Education, and Theology, I have been a high school teacher, counselor,
and coach, and have also worked in Catholic Campus Ministry. I was elected to a public-school board in
Missoula MT. I presently teach part-time
at Metropolitan State University. My wife and I are returned Peace Corps
Volunteers (Iran 1970-72). We have five adult children, and five grandchildren.

The City of Minneapolis invites and encourages participation by every resident to each program, service and event within our city. Should you require an accommodation in order for you to fully participate, or should you require this document in an alternative format, please let us know by contacting 612-673-3737.

About this newsletterMinneapolis Connects is published by the City of Minneapolis Neighborhood and Community Relations Department. If you have questions, please contact ncr@minneapolismn.gov.

For reasonable accommodations or alternative formats please contact NCR at 612-673-3737 or ncr@minneapolismn.gov . People who are deaf or hard of hearing can use a relay service to call 311 agents at 612-673-3000. TTY users can call 612-673-2157 or 612-673-2626.